Fishing "bassy Spots" Vs Structure

[tdown1207]

So which do you prefer fishing spots that look "bassy" like lillies, grass fields, and stump fields or fishing points, drop offs, and deep structure?

 

 

[Raul]

" Bassy lookin´ " don´t mean bassy holdin´ .

 

Throughout my 3+ decades of bass fishing and a good couple dozen lakes I´ve seen hundreds of bassy looking spots that don´t hold bass and have caught, including some of my best catches, in non bassy looking spots.

 

Fish holding spots gather certain characteristics that at a certain time and conditions will make the fish be there, so it´s up to your personal knowledge to identify those characteristics. Deep structure doesn´t always hold fish, drop offs ? "drop off" is a relative term.

[alexandboi]

All of the above. Just depends where the fish are...

[MarkH024]

You described fishing "cover" vs "structure".  Both are equally important in bass fishing.

[Brian Needham]

I like fishing bassy looking spots with surrounding structure.

 

 

not all bassy looking spots have structure but all structure have bassy looking spots.

[J Francho]

"Bassy Looking" is combination of cover and structure.  Cover is not limited to just weeds, and structure isn't just off shore.  Cover referes to anything in or directly over the waterline, besides the bottom or the water.  Structure is simply the bottom - you would use terms to describe that structure, such as point, ledge, depression, flat, creek channel, etc.. 

 

You are looking for spots where several elements intersect.  For instance, a cove off a main point with a strong secondary point that has creek channel, a shallow weed flat, docks,  and some deeper water nearby would be a really "bassy looking" spot.  All those terms describe both structure and cover.

[WRB]

Depends on where you fish, type of lake or river. Most lakes with lots of surface cover have mud bottoms, aquatic roots need soil to grow and bass relate to cover in those lakes. Deep structure lake have little areas that may provide soil where aquatic grow prevails, bass don't relate to cover because the cover doesn't provide prey a place to live, may provide a nursery for juvenile bass to hide after the spawn.

Most bass anglers see articles illustrating a Lunker bass jumping out of the Lilly pads, classic bass advertising!

Shallow natural lakes and some low land reserviors have Lilly pads, unfortunately those areas are limited.

Lay downs and tree stumps are also shoreline cover that bass may relate to in some lake classifications.

Shoreline bass anglers are the majority, however in deep structure lakes without docks, shoreline anglers catch fewer bass, structure anglers rule.

Tom

[Th1317]

Structure is my preference. It's usually got fish that are more catchable, and personally, my favorite way to catch them is deep cranking.

[Teal]

I like to shallow fish, its fun and exciting.

But I'm going where I think the fish are.

[jhoffman]

Ill be honest, I struggle out deep unless something specific is pulling me there be it a channel swing, a culvert under a road bed. When I can key in on a feature like that I can do much much better. But finding fish in open water is problem for me. My boat simply doesnt pack the technology of side and downscan to get the entire picture. If you can cruise along and say, well that tree over there as eight bass and about nine million shad on it, its pretty "bassy" lookn.

[mjseverson24]

I like to fish both, clear lakes with less vegetation shallow and more of a hard bottom I like to key on structure, while more fertile lakes with plenty of grass I like to key on cover, but I also like to chose cover that has deep water access, as I believe the biggest fish like the security of the deep water escape. 

 

Mitch

[K_Mac]

What I think is "bassy looking" changes by lake and season. I will admit that finding a spot on structure that is overlooked by most is very satisfying. I think J Franco says it best that when more than one element comes together your chances go way up. On one of my favorite local lakes there are many thousands of "bassy looking" spots in the summer especially. Find that spot with grass and gravel, wood and grass, or many other combinations close to the old river or creek channels and now you may have something. I fish with a guy who is a shallow water specialist. His idea of bassy looking is about 12" deep. Very subtle changes in depth can be all the difference. Together we usually find something. Very few of us are really good at all techniques. Finding a couple that fit your you style and temperament, and getting really good at them is as much as most of us can do IMO. 

[slonezp]

Bassy looking where I fish could be a set of stairs going into the water or and area where a steel seawall transitions into a cement seawall or the inside corner of a boathouse or a big drainage pipe or under a docked pontoon boat or a duck blind. 

[J Francho]

Don't forget the leaking oil drums and wrecked cars, lol.

[Djman72]

I like where dem bass be hiding....

 

[slonezp]

Don't forget the leaking oil drums and wrecked cars, lol.

This is Chicago, not Jersey

[Pz3]

Funniest part about all of this is I love fishing in lilly pads and catch quiet a large number of fish in them. The thicker the better but its tough getting them out sometimes.

[ragetail1061]

If its bassy lookin give it a shot! Bassy 2 you mite not be to the guy in the next boat. Yoy have nothin to lose buy given it a shot rite.? Of course you wouldnt spend ure whole day there if you werent gettin fish now would you? Time to keep movin on down to the next fishy spot or structure whatevr u run intonext. Wouldnt limit myself to one or the other unless I was extremely confident in one of them. Confused yet? Guess what im tryin to say is always fish where when and how you feel mos confident. Thats what I do.

[Trailer]

And these conversations are why I visit Bass Resource. I feel like there are good points in each reply.

[RoLo]

This is Chicago, not Jersey

 

That's how we ended up in Florida.

It's as far south of Jersey you can go without getting wet 

 

Roger

[basscatcher8]

This is Chicago, not Jersey

 

No we just have benzene tanks leaking lol

[RanndomUndead]

So which do you prefer fishing spots that look "bassy" like lillies, grass fields, and stump fields or fishing points, drop offs, and deep structure?

I've never gone for "bassy looking" spots. If im on a boat i just go until my gut tells me to stop, and so far my gut has never failed me

[Mainebass1984]

Unobvious offshore structure is my favorite thing to fish. I do not have expensive electronics so it takes a lot of time to find these spots. When you do find them they are amazing. A sunken tree out in 10-20 feet of water or a small rock hump, anything like that is exactly what I am looking for, not many people find these spots. Everyone can see the obvious cover such as emergent weeds, shoreline trees, docks, or anything else that is lining the shoreline. Cover and structure both hold bass at times. Sometimes in 6 inches of water and sometimes 45 feet of water. Figuring out what will produce best when and where is what fishing is all about.

[buckeye_bass66]

I'm always curios to fish bassy looking spots like lilies because I'm always thinking about the next cast what bass pig is going to grab ahold of that lure